Combination fireplace and furnace



April 29, 1958 H. c. JoHNsoN 2,832,332

COMBINATION FIREPLACE AND FURNACE FfiILrecll Dec. 22, 1953 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 ATTORNEYS April 29, 1958 H. c. JOHNSON COMBINATION Frm-:PLACE AND FURNACE 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Dec. 22, 1953 N Q NH EO WJ. .IC Ac G U H AT TORNEYS CUMBENATEUN FHREPLACE AND FURNACE Hugo C. Johnson, San Jose, Calif.

Atipplliozation December 22, 1953, Serial No. 399,796

3 Claims. (Cl. 12o-121) tory `system through which a proper draft may be established, absorbing the maximum amount of heat from the tire, and to deliver the heated air to locations where it is to be utilized, all with a great deal of efficiency. Furthep more, the arrangement is such as to preclude the fireplace from smoking. The heat may be delivered to the room in which the fireplace is disposed, as well as to other rooms of the house, thereby providing both a fireplace and a furnace.

Other objects and advantages will appear as the specication proceeds. The novel features will be particularly pointed out in the claims hereunto appended.

Drawings For a better understanding of the invention, reference should be had to the accompanying drawings, forming part of this application, in which:

Figure l is a front elevational view of my combination fireplace and furnace, the upper portion being broken away so as to disclose the interior construction;

Figure 2 is a horizontal sectional View taken along the plane ll-Ili of Figure l;

-Figure 3 is a side elevational View of a portion of the chimney, as seen from the line III-III of Figure 1, illustrating a damper control, part of the chimney being shown in section;

Figure 4 is an enlarged horizontal sectional View taken along the line iV--IV of Figure 3, illustrating a latching mechanism for the damper control;

Figure 5 is a sectional view taken along the vertical plane V-V of Figure l;

Figure 6 is a perspective view of the lire chamber liner and associatedparts, as observed from the back thereof; and

Figure 7 is an isometric view of a cover plate.

While I have shown only the preferred form of my invention, it should be understood that various changes, or modifications, may be made within the scope of the annexed claims without departing from the spirit thereof.

Detailed description Referring to the drawings, it will be noted that a liner indicated generally at A provides a lire chamber B. This liner is preferably made of metal and denes a rear wall 1t) having spaced-apart side walls 11-11 projecting forwardly therefrom, upper and lower walls 12 and 14, re

p flues.

Patented Z9 9 ice .e spectively, connected to the tops and bottoms of the rear and side walls. The front marginal rim l5 of the liner defines an opening giving access to the lire chamber, as clearly illustrated in Figures l, 2 and 5 When installed.v the lower wall le is set ilush with an elevated hearth As disclosed in Figures 5 and 6, a housing l2 is mounted on the rear wall l@ of the liner in back thereof. forming heat-receiving compartment C. Louvers lf2 are arranged in the rear Iwall lil, and deline openings between adjacent louvers, which lead from the lire charnber B to the compartment C, thus allowing heated air to how from the former to the latter.

It will be observed that a forward group of tubular ilues D communicate With the tire chamber E, and en tend upwardly from the upper wall l2 of the liner. Also, a rear group of tubular flues E communicate with the heat-receiving compartment C, and rise above the housing 18. Both groups lof llues are curved nach and forth to present a zigzag or sinuous outline, to retard the flow of heat through their respective bores.

Turning now to Figures 1, 3 and 5, a chimney 2l has been disclosed therein as surrounding both groups of flues, defining a heating chamber F through which the liues extend. Outlet ducts 2222 are provided in opposing sides of the chimney to allow Iheat to escape from the heating chamber F into the room G into which the replace opens. Grills 2li-23 have been mounted over these ducts.

In order to make a draft from underneath a lire in the chamber B, the lower wall 14 of the latter has been provided with a slotted grate H (see Figures 2 and 5). An air inlet conduit 24 leads from. the atmosphere in the room G to a position below the grate to thereby deliver air for up-flow through the g-rate H, openings 2li and the tubular flues D and E. This will give the lire a better and quicker chance to get started, and will create a draft through the flues. A grill 25 has been provided over the entrance endgof the conduit 24, and the latter has a slidable damper 26 arranged therein for controlling the amount of the draft established through this conduit.

It will be apparent from Figure 5 that a pit 2'7 is fashioned in the fireplace to receive ashes Ztl, which gravitate through the grate H. These ashes may be removed from the pit through a clean-out door 229 disposed exteriorly of the house. The pit may have considerable capacity, thus requiring only infrequent cleaning.

Reference is made to Figures 5 and 6, wherein it will be noted that a series of spaced-apart air-distributing ins 30 are mounted on the exterior of the housing i8. These ns provide parallel paseageways 31, which communicate with the heating chamber F to deliver air to the latter for out-flow through the grills 23--23, after passing over the liues D and E. As shown in Figures 2, 5 and 7, a cover I has been applied over the ns so as to direct air flowing through the passageways 31 towards the tubular This cover has parallel flanges Sila projecting therefrom so as to abut interior walls 3-llb of the fireplace construction. The lower end of this cover rests on the top of an inlet duct 32. The cover serves as a foundation against which the bricks in the outer wall 21o of the chimney are applied.

For the purpose of supplying air to the passageway/s 3l, a vertical inlet duct 32 has been provided, whereby air vmay be directed over the surfaces of the iiues to absorb heat therefrom. The duct 32 has branch ducts 33 and 34 extending therefrom, the entrance ends of which communicate `with the atmosphere in the room G through grills 33a and` 34a, respectfully (see Figures l and 2).

It may be desired, at times, to create a forced draft through the heating chamber F. Accordingly, a fan 35 has been provided in the branch duct 34 (see Figure 2).

This fan may be driven by any suitable source of power, for example, an electric motor 36. Cold air streams may enter the branch ducts 33 and 34, and will pass through the vertical duct 32 for flow into the heating chamber F, and thence through the ducts 22-22 and grills 23-23 to the room. There will be no tendency for the fireplace to smoke, since the up-draft created in the flues will draw the smoke therewith, and there will be no bottleneck of smoke.

Heat may be conveyed from the heating chamber F through additional ducts 37, which lead to other rooms in the house. The ducts 37 may be supported on the ceiling rafters 38 (see Figure 5). inasmuch as the fiues D-E do not communicate with the chamber F, smoke from the fire cannot enter the ducts 37.

The upper portion of the chimney 2.1 has a damper box I supported therein. The upper ends of both groups of dues communicate with the interior 39 of this damper box. Collar 46 may surroundy the tops of the liues D and E to prevent smoke, which reaches the box through the fiues D, from leaking down into the heating chamber F.

As shown in Figure 3, the damper box is fashioned with an outlet 4.11 in its top, which is regulated by a pair of adjustable damper plates 42-42. These plates are fixed 'to rods 43-43, which in turn are journalled in the damper box. Segmental gears 445--44 are secured to these rods, and mesh with teeth of racks 45-4-5, the latter being carried by a vertically movable control bar 46. Figure 3 illustrates the damper plates as being partially opened, While Figure 5 shows them fully closed.

For the purpose of adjusting the bar 46, and thereby regulating the damper plates, this bar has a tube 47 secured to its lower end, in which a pair of latching detents d8 48 are slidably guided. vThese detents are yieldingly urged in opposing directions by a spring 49 interposed therebetween. As shown in Figures l, 3 and 4, a latcl plate 56 is mounted in one of the ducts Z2, and is formed with a plurality of notches 51 therein at different elevations. Finger grips 52-52 are fixed to the detents and project outwardly through a slot 53 provided in the adjacent grill 23.

Obviously, when these grips are pressed toward one another, the detents 413-48 are withdrawn from the notches 51. At this time, the bar 46 may be raised or lowered to adjust the damper plates. Upon releasing the grips, the detents will be urged outwardly into engagement with. the selected set of notches 51, thereby holding the damper plates in adjusted position.

As shown in Figures l and 5, hooks 54 are provided on the face of the fireplace, on which various tools may be hung. Also, a rod 55 has been mounted on this same face slightly above the arch S6 to serve as a mounting for a screen. This fireplace eliminates the requirements` and forming a heat-receiving compartment; louvers arranged in the rear wall of the liner, and defining openings leading from the tire chamber of the liner to the heat-receiving compartment of the housing; a forward group of tubular fines communicating with the fire chamber, and extending upwardly from the upper wall of the liner; a rear group of tubular iues communicating with the heat-receiving compartment of the housing, and rising from the latter; a series of spaced-apart air distributing fins mounted on the exterior of the housing; these fins providing passageways therebetween extending upwardly toward both groups of ues; a cover disposed over and bearing against the fins and projecting above the latter to direct air owing through the passageways towards both groups of the tubular flues; and an air inlet duct leading from the atmosphere to the bottom portions of passageways between the fins for supplying an upflow of air through said passageways.

2. In a combination fireplace and furnace: a liner providing a fire chamber; this liner defining a rear wall having spaced-apart side walls projecting forwardly therefrom, upper and lower walls connected to the tops and bottoms, respectively, of the rear and side walls; a housing mounted on the rear wall of the liner in back thereof,

" and forming a heat-receiving compartment; louvers arranged in the rear wall of the liner, and dening openings leading from the re chamber of the liner to the heatreceiving compartment of the housing; a forward group of tubular ues communicating with the fire chamber, and extending upwardly from the upper wall of the liner; a rear group of tubular flues communicating with the heatreceiving compartment of the housing, and rising from the latter; a series of spaced-apart air-distributing fins mounted on the exterior of the housing at the back of the latter; these fins providing passageways extending upwardly toward both groups of fines; a substantially rectangular-shaped air-duct housing mounted below the fins; the upper portion of the air-duct housing communicating with the lower ends of the passageways for supplying an up-flow of air through said passageways; and a cover disposed over and bearing against the back of the fins; the lower end of this cover resting on the top of said duct; the upper part of the cover projecting above the fins and being positioned to direct the up-iiow of air towards both groups of the tubular flues.

3. The combination fireplace and furnace, as defined in claim 2; and in which the cover has a pair of spacedapart and substantially parallel anges projecting therefrom. so as toV abut interior walls of a fireplace; these flanges straddling the rear group of tubular flues; the cover having a rear. surface serving as a foundation against whichbricks of a chimney wall may be applied and supported.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 12,491 Smith et al Mar. 6, 1855 394,653 Jackson Dec. 18, 1888 557,231 Rogers Mar. 31, 1896 1,287,815 Anderson Dec. 17, 1918 1,714,955 Helms May 28, 1929 1,725,484 Sholar Aug. 20, 1929 2,052,643 Modine Sept. 1, 1936 2,181,624 Maurer Nov. 28, 1938 

